Billy swung his axe instinctively toward his right side, yet hit nothing but air. There was no one in sight, not even a shadow.
"What the hell is going on!?" Billy's usual arrogance crumbled into a mix of unease and confusion.
He scanned the alley warily, convinced there was an enemy hidden in the shadows, helping Cain from the dark.
But he was wrong.
The one who attacked him wasn't some unseen ally. It was Cain himself.
Cain moved silently, as though wading through water. His vision was hazy, but clear enough to track Billy's every move.
At first, Cain had been shocked by the change, but he quickly adapted. His invisibility was the result of burning the last 20% of his totem's power, manifesting an ability to vanish from sight.
Though powerful, Cain didn't know how long the effect would last. Wasting no time, he grabbed a paralysis-coated dagger from the ground—one left behind by a fallen thug.
Slipping behind Billy, Cain struck quickly, stabbing him in the back and slashing across his right arm.
Billy, like a wounded animal, swung his axe wildly in all directions. Despite his size and strength, he was blind to the real threat standing right in front of him.
Billy's panic escalated. His men, initially confident, began retreating. Some backed away cautiously, while others bolted straight into the bar.
"Boss is losing it!" one of them whispered nervously.
"Last time he went crazy, he killed some of our own guys!"
"Screw this, I'm out of here!"
Watching the chaos, Cain formulated a new plan. His goal wasn't to kill Billy—it was to retrieve the box.
"If he doesn't have the box on him, it's probably hidden inside the bar," Cain thought.
Without hesitation, he abandoned the fight, moving like a phantom as he followed the retreating gang members back into the bar.
Billy, oblivious, continued his frenzied assault on his imagined enemy.
"Coward! Show yourself! I'll kill you!" he roared, his voice echoing through the alley.
Inside the bar, Cain encountered no resistance. His invisibility allowed him to slip past guards unnoticed and approach the office, where he suspected the box was hidden.
But the door was locked. As Cain pondered his next move, a sultry voice broke the silence.
"Gavin, where's Billy?" a mature, confident woman asked as she approached the office.
"He's outside, handling some trouble," replied Gavin, the guard.
"Ugh, always fighting. I need to grab something from the stash," the woman said, producing a keycard.
"Of course, Tina," Gavin said, stepping aside.
Cain watched silently as Tina opened the office door. A faint breeze brushed past her as Cain slipped inside before her, though she didn't notice.
Tina approached a sleek black safe with a sci-fi design, quickly inputting a passcode. With a soft click, the safe opened, revealing stacks of nerve stimulants—one of the Red Skull Gang's major sources of income.
Beneath the drugs lay a small box, exactly as Baiden had described.
Cain's eyes lit up. "That's it," he thought, suppressing his excitement.
Waiting patiently, Cain let Tina retrieve the drugs and leave. Once the room was empty, he stepped forward and input the same passcode: Big Dick Billy.
Cain rolled his eyes at the vulgarity but was thankful it worked.
Inside the safe, alongside the box, was a transparent container holding several faintly glowing crystals.
"Evolution Crystals?" Cain muttered, surprised. These rare items were essential for evolvers to level up, with even the lowest-grade crystal valued at 100 EC. The container held six or seven, though Cain couldn't determine their grade.
Without hesitation, Cain pocketed both the box and the crystal container.
As Cain prepared to leave, he felt the invisibility effect beginning to fade. His body tingled, a warning that the totem's power was depleting. He needed to act quickly.
Cain exited the office and slipped through the bar's back entrance without incident. Within moments of stepping outside, his invisibility dissipated entirely.
"Just as I thought," Cain mused. "The totem's powers are temporary."
But this time, something was different. When Cain examined his primary totem, he noticed a small, faintly glowing rune etched onto its surface.
"What is that?" Cain murmured.
"It seems your totem has created a new ability for you," Dante said, his voice calm.
"What? Totems can do that?" Cain asked, astonished.
"Yes. All totems have the ability to evolve alongside their host," Dante replied matter-of-factly. "Honestly, Cain, you need to educate yourself. Even I know this, and I've forgotten most things."
Cain frowned. "You say you've forgotten a lot, but somehow you remember all the important stuff. Convenient, isn't it?"
Dante chuckled softly. "A fair point. But I wouldn't dwell on it."
Cain sighed, pushing the thought aside. Dante was right—he desperately needed to learn more about evolvers and their abilities. But first, he had to deal with his injuries.
In this era, losing a limb wasn't a permanent handicap. Thanks to Gaia's advanced medical technology, humans could regrow lost limbs, restore senses, and cure previously untreatable diseases.
However, one thing hadn't changed: the need for money, now replaced by EC as the global currency. Without EC, the poor were still left to die—a harsh reality that hadn't softened with time.
Cain, weak and bleeding, stumbled into a charity hospital. These facilities were run by Gaia's moderates, who sought to help Earth's disadvantaged.
A nurse in a pristine uniform spotted him immediately.
"Sir! Are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
"I've been better. I need treatment," Cain said, his lips pale.
"Of course. Let's get you to the treatment room," she replied.
Cain was quickly wheeled into a sterile room, where robotic arms began their work. Blue light sealed his wounds, while green light began regenerating his lost arm.
This was the power of a Type II Civilization. Earth, at 0.9 on the Kardashev Scale, had advanced rapidly under Gaia's guidance. Though still behind, humanity was on the brink of becoming a Type I Civilization.
After the treatment, the staff urged Cain to rest, but he declined. Baiden had already contacted him, growing impatient.
Outside the hospital, Cain answered Baiden's call.
"I have the box. Where do you want to meet?" Cain asked.
"You got it? Well, color me impressed!" Baiden's voice was a mix of surprise and delight. "I'll send you the location. Come alone, and don't tell anyone."
"Fine. Make sure you have my new ID ready," Cain replied.
"Don't worry. See you soon," Baiden said before hanging up.
Cain expression darkening. He didn't trust Baiden—not after the betrayals and conspiracies he'd already endured.
"I need a plan," Cain thought. He wouldn't walk into another trap unprepared.